Article of furniture



June 3, 1941. A, A. RAINVILLE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Fiied Dec. '6. 1939 u m 4 W 5 finuuuunfi I A m n n8 2 m m m 2 H] M.

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Patented June 3, 1941 UNITED snares rarest OFFHCE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Alvin A. Rainville, Worcester, Mass. Application December 6, 1939, Serial No. 307,854

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to articles of furniture and more particularly to chairs, benches, seats, settees, etc.

,The objects of the invention include the provision of a seat or bench having a back rest which is movable from an operative back-supporting position to an inoperative, concealed position within the seat or bench; the provision of such a seat or bench in which there is a pivoted seat element cooperating with the movable back to assist in holding the latter upright when it is operative and to conceal it when inoperative, said seat element serving as a seating support in both conditions of the back rest; the provision of a seat or bench, as above stated, in which all hinges or hardware are concealed at all times, and in which the back and seat elements appear to be rigidly connected to the article of furniture in both positions of the back; and the provision of a seat or bench, as above stated, which is durable, rigid, and attractive in appearance in both positions of the back rest.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the device with the back rest in operative position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of arrow 2;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device with the back rest concealed;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 3, looking in the direction of arrow 4;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the back rest in operative position;

Figs. '7 and 8 are plain views of parts of the top surface of the device with parts broken away; and

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the seat or bench comprising this invention may be provided with legs I ll rigidly connected by side rails 12 and I4. Supported on the rails and the tops of the legs, there is a seat H3 and a back rest 18. The seat 16 is pivoted to the rail [2 by hinge 20, the leaves of the hinge being recessed into their corresponding members, as shown in Fig. 6, so that when in horizontal position the seat I 6 may be exactly horizontal. Along the free edge of the seat It, there is provided an element 22 which is pivoted to the seat adjacent the bottom surface thereof by a hinge 24. This hinge is recessed into its corresponding members so as to allow the element 22 to form an alined extension of the seat It in one position and to be pivoted to a right angular position thereto, as shown in Fig. 9. The pivoted element 22 does not extend the full length of the seat but stops short of the ends thereof, as shown in Fig. 4.

Within the bench, in the rear side thereof, there is provided a pair of parallel rails 26 which extend from the bottom of the bench approximately half way to the bottom of the seat It. The back rest I8 is pivoted at its lower end to the rail 26 by a hinge 2B, in such a manner that the back rest may be located in vertical position, as shown in Fig. 6, or may be swung down to horizontal position about the pintle of the hinge 28, as shown in Fig. 5.

A long stringer 35) is permanently connected to the rear rail l2 of the bench, this stringer extending the length of the seat l6 and forming a horizontal continuation thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. An elongated notch 32 is provided in the inner edge of the stringer 30, this notch exactly accommodating the backrest l8 when the latter is in vertical position. The notch 32 is the same length as the back rest and provides for the projections 34 which abut the free edge of the seat 56, as shown in Fig. 4.

The pivoted element 22 is of a size and shape to exactly fit the notch 32 as will be apparent from a comparison of Figs. '7 and 8, and this element is used to completely fill the notch 32 when the back rest i8 is in horizontal position, so that a completely continuous smooth top surface is provided when the back rest is down. Also, since the notch 32 and the element 22 are of exactly the same size and shape as a cross section of the back rest, it will be seen that a smooth continuous top surface is provided when the back rest is in vertical position. It will also be noted that the pivoted element 22 provides a bottom support for the free end of the seat I6 when in the position shown in Fig. 6, as the element 22 rests on the rail 26, and the free edge of the seat It and the element 22 provide a strong rigid side support for the back rest It when the latter is in vertical position.

A removable bottom shelf 36 is provided for the purpose of holding any articles desired within the seat or bench. This shelf 36 is provided with notched edges resting on small rails 38.

Supposing the seat or bench to be shown, as in Fig. 1, with the back I B in vertical operative position, it will be seen that the back is rigidly held in this position between the rail 30 and the seat l6 and element 22. If it is desired to dispense with the back rest, the seat I6 is raised about its hinge 2t, and the back I8 is swung down about its pivot 28 to the position shown in Fig, 5, wherein the free end of the back rests in notches All in the side rail I2. The element 22 is then swung from its dotted-line position in Fig. 9 part way to its full-line position in the same figure. Then the seat I6 is swung back towards its horizontalposition and the free edge of the element 22 contacts the inner edge of the notch 32 and as further pressure is applied to the seat It, the element 22, acting somewhat in the nature of a toggle, will be forced into its horizontal position in alinement with the seat It, as shown in Fig. 5. Since the element 22 exactly fits the notch 32, it cannot fall or be pivoted from its horizontal location, but forms a complete'filler for the notch 32. Of course, the seat l6 rests upon side rails l4 and is thus located in its horizontal position.

It is to be .noted that the bottom leafofthe hinge' 28 is not recessed into the rail 26, and this provides a slight springiness ofthe back I8 allowing for pivoting of the seat [6 to horizontal position when the back rest is vertical, and also providing for an extremely tight fit of the back it, clamped between stringer 3i! and the seat l6, as shown in Fig. 6, so that, as shown in this figure, there will be no play in thesupport ofthe back rest, and therefore the backrest is very rigidly held and appears to be permanentlysecured.

Having thus described myinvention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In an article of the class described, a support, a member pivoted to said support for location in vertical or horizontal position, an abutment on said support engaging said member'in its vertical position, and means alsoengaging the member when in its vertical position, oppositely to said abutment, whereby said member may be clamped when in said vertical position, said means comprising a pivoted generally horizontal-top element effective for supporting articles.

2. In an article of the class described, a support, a first member pivoted tosaidsupport, a second member also pivoted to said support whereby said second member may be located in vertical or horizontal position, an abutment on said support engaging said second member when in vertical position,.said first member cooperating with said abutment to clamp said second member therebetween-when the latter isin vertical position.

3. In an article of the class described, a support, a first member rigidly secured to said support and having a notch, a second member pivoted to said support, said members being in alinement and abutting when said second member is in horizontal position, and an element pivoted to said second member to selectively bridge said notch or support the free edge of said second member when said members are alined.

4. In an article of the class described, a support, an elongated rail secured to. said support and having a notch in one edge thereof, a back rest member horizontally pivoted to said support, said notch accommodating said back rest member when the latter is in vertical position, a seat member pivoted to said support and adapted to abut said back rest member when the latter is in verticalposition.

5. In an article of the class described, a support including an enclosure, an elongated rail secured to said support and having a notch in one edge thereof, a back rest member 'horizontally pivoted tosaid support insaid enclosure, said notch accommodating said back. restememberwhen.v the latter is in vertical position,.aseat member mounted on said. support and forming thetop of said enclosure and. adapted to abut saidback rest member when the latter is in vertical .position, said back rest member being adaptedto. be. located beneath said. seat member in horizontal position, and meansto fill said notch, whereby said. back rest may be. concealed in-said enclosure. r

6. In an article of the class described, a supportincluding an enclosure, a seat member pivoted along the front edge of the support, arail rigidlysecured at the. rear edge of thesupport, said rail. having a notch therein. along oneedge, aback rest member pivotedtosaidsupport below and between said rail and said seatasaid. back rest member being-adapted to belocatedin vertical position where it. is .accommodatedby said notch and in horizontal. position below. said seat, said rail= and said seat. cooperating tohold said back rest when in vertical position.

'7. In. an article of the class. described, a support, a seat pivoted along the .front edge ofsaid support, an. element pivoted. at the free edge of said seat, a rail secured tosaidsuppoirt at the rear edge thereof, aback rest pivoted to-said support below and between said rail. and. said seat, wherebysaid backrest may be-positioned vertically to abut said rail or horizontally to,lie beneath. said. seat, a notch in said .rail accommodatingsaid back rest whenin verticalposition, the pivoted element. on said seat .adapted to be positioned in said, notch when said back rest is in horizontal position.

ALVIN A RAINVILLE. 

